The Female Supporting Character Just Wants to Farm [Transmigration] - Chapter 13

In mid-May, the quadrennial Pearl Banquet was held in the capital. Lanterns were hung in front of all the major restaurants, and even those not participating in the competition came to partake in the festive atmosphere. The venue was, as usual, the residence of the Prince of Chu. Prince Chu, Yin De, was the full-blooded younger brother of Emperor Tianyan, Yin Shang. He had an average talent but a gentle and honest personality. He had a love for food, and the chefs in his residence were said to be even better than the imperial chefs. With his seniority and position, he didn’t need to fear anyone’s background and could give a fair and impartial review.

The participating restaurants in the capital were chosen by the common people, including the Fengyue Pavilion, the Lanting Pavilion, the Desheng Restaurant, the Quanjia Banquet, and others. However, the most likely winners were the Fengyue Pavilion and the Lanting Pavilion. Recently, both restaurants had been building momentum for the competition. While Prince Chu wouldn’t show favoritism, he would listen to the opinions of the people. More than a month before the banquet, he had placed a box in front of his residence to collect suggestions and opinions from the common folk about the food.

Everyone wanted to attend the lively Pearl Banquet, but since the residence was a restricted area, common people were only allowed in the outer sections. The Prince of Chu’s residence had imperial guards sent by the Emperor in case anyone tried to cause trouble, and there were also many imperial physicians on standby to inspect the ingredients and handle any cases of food poisoning, which had happened a lot in previous years.

The Pearl Banquet was as lively as a festival. The wives and young ladies who usually stayed at home all came out, and the women from the Duke of Dingguo’s Estate were no exception. All of them—from the first, second, and third families to the concubine-born daughters—were dressed up elegantly. The occasion was so lively it was like a matchmaking event. And it’s true, some young men and women did find someone they liked. Gao Luoshen wore a long blue robe and held a fan with gold sprinkles, looking like a handsome and refined scholar. However, she hadn’t changed her face much, so anyone who knew her could easily see through her disguise.

Gao Luoshen had planned to go alone, but she didn’t realize so many women from her family were interested in the event. So Gao Jun had them all go together. Gao Luoshen and Gao Chun were arranged to be in the same carriage. The crackling of firecrackers filled the streets, sounding as if a noble family was having a wedding. Gao Luoshen was lazily curled up in the carriage, occasionally glancing at Gao Chun, who was absorbed in a book. They had only traveled a street’s distance, yet Gao Chun was so immersed, it made Gao Luoshen wonder what she was pretending to be. She mumbled to herself, but her eyes couldn’t help but keep drifting toward Gao Chun.

Young ladies in this dynasty loved literature and often read collections of ancient poetry. In Gao Luoshen’s eyes, Gao Chun was the same. Suddenly, a bold person galloped a horse through the busy street, and the carriage driver stopped abruptly, causing the carriage to shake. Gao Luoshen’s focus was on Gao Chun, so she couldn’t steady herself and fell toward her. In that moment, she saw the book Gao Chun was holding. There were poems, but they were clearly just the typical boring lines used in novels to add a touch of elegance. How could Gao Chun, someone who seems so aloof, be interested in novels? A hint of curiosity arose in Gao Luoshen. She held back for a moment, then finally asked, “What book are you reading?”

Gao Chun closed the book and gave Gao Luoshen a faint glance. ” The White-Haired Wife,” she said calmly.

“What’s that? I’ve never heard of it.” After transmigrating, she had lost all modern technology and could only rely on reading novels to pass the time. In a few months, she had read every novel on the market, but she had never heard of The White-Haired Wife. She asked, “Is it a new one?”

“No,” Gao Chun said, shaking her head. “It’s an ancient text. It’s a single copy, no longer in circulation.”

“Oh,” Gao Luoshen sighed. She was too proud to ask Gao Chun to borrow the book, so she tried another way. “What’s it about?” If it was truly interesting, she would find some food to trade for it; that way, no one would be at a loss.

“It’s about the daughter of a Prime Minister. She was skilled in poetry and all forms of literature, and was called a ‘Literary Scholar’ by the great Confucian scholars of the time. But—” Gao Chun suddenly paused.

“But what?” Gao Luoshen hated it when people kept her in suspense. She tugged on Gao Chun’s sleeve. “What happened to her?”

Seeing Gao Luoshen’s impatience, Gao Chun no longer teased her. “She fell in love with a handsome and elegant Prince. The Prince was holding a selection for his Consort, and the Prime Minister didn’t want his only daughter to enter that high-walled residence. He asked the Emperor for a decree. But the Prime Minister had no idea that his daughter and the Prince had already secretly made a vow to each other.”

“Oh,” Gao Luoshen replied flatly. Either Gao Chun’s storytelling was boring, or the plot itself didn’t interest her. After her simple response, she leaned toward the window, looking disinterested.

Gao Luoshen’s lack of interest completely shut down Gao Chun’s story. She frowned, then sighed and fell silent.

The carriage stopped in front of the Prince of Chu’s residence.

Before getting out, Gao Chun suddenly grabbed Gao Luoshen’s hand and whispered, “Don’t you want to know the ending?”

Gao Luoshen shook her head and said honestly, “No, I don’t.” With that, she didn’t care about Gao Chun’s expression, pulled her hand away, and walked quickly ahead.

Gao Chun was speechless. Watching Gao Luoshen’s carefree back, Gao Chun felt a great sense of frustration. The maidservants behind her also hurried to catch up. When Shua Hua saw her mistress’s wronged and silent expression, she immediately thought that Gao Luoshen had bullied her. Just as Fangze hurried past, Shua Hua glared at her and mumbled, “Little wench, you’re the most smug one.”

Fangze heard Shua Hua and looked innocent and confused. She smiled at her.

“My lady, we should stay away from the Pavilion of Startled Swans. They’re all a bit crazy,” Shua Hua whispered.

Gao Chun’s brows furrowed, then relaxed. She didn’t say anything, but stood to the side, waiting for her other sisters to arrive.

The Prince of Chu’s residence had a large empty space in the back garden. Eight temporary stoves had been set up in the shape of a trigram. On each stove were fresh and non-toxic ingredients. A long time ago, all the ingredients for the Pearl Banquet were bought from a central source, but later, the Emperor said that procuring ingredients was a skill in itself, so he allowed them to get their own.

When Gao Luoshen arrived, Gao Luochuan was talking to the Prince of Chu’s heir.

Yin Chunming patted Gao Luochuan’s shoulder and asked curiously, “I heard that the ingredients for the Fengyue Pavilion and the Lanting Pavilion are from your Duke of Dingguo’s Estate? When did your Duke’s Estate get into this business?”

Gao Luochuan had a good relationship with Yin Chunming, so he wasn’t angry at his question. He just smiled faintly and said, “It’s not really the Duke’s Estate. My father gave the villa to my Second Sister, so she’s managing it herself. It has nothing to do with the Duke’s Estate directly.”

“Second Miss?” Yin Chunming raised an eyebrow in surprise. He, of course, knew about Gao Luoshen’s reputation. After a moment, he patted Gao Luochuan’s shoulder and said with a heavy heart, “You have a tough job.” If Gao Luoshen had been born into an ordinary family, no one would have dared to marry her.

Gao Luoshen heard Gao Luochuan’s words, and the fact that he was claiming the Luoshen Manor as his own made her huff and turn away. She went straight to the resting area for the people of the Lanting Pavilion. Since his reputation was on the line, Zhao Lanxi’s face was pale, and he was pacing back and forth, feeling a bit uneasy. Prince Chu had visited the Lanting Pavilion, but he had never given a review. He had heard that in the past, Prince Chu loved to review dishes.

“What’s the rush, Manager Zhao?”

Zhao Lanxi turned around and saw a beautiful “young master” standing in front of him. The words “Miss Gao” got stuck in his throat, and he cupped his hands and said, “Young Master.”

“The chefs of both establishments have a similar skill level,” Gao Luoshen said unhurriedly. “The ingredients are from my villa, so there won’t be much difference. But, Manager Zhao, you have the special recipes I prepared for you, so don’t you dare embarrass me.”

Zhao Lanxi’s face turned red, and he cupped his hands again. “Of course.” He wiped the sweat from his forehead, and his nervousness slightly subsided. Seeing that more and more people were arriving, he didn’t dare to chat with Gao Luoshen for long. His social circle wasn’t as big as Young Master Qi’s. Compared to Qi Wei, who was actively socializing, he only chatted with a few people.

Gao Luoshen saw a bunch of men huddled together and looked a little bored. She turned her head, and Gao Chun appeared out of nowhere. Her face was cold as she said, “That person is dead.”

“What?”

Gao Chun glanced at Gao Luoshen and said with a blank face, “The Prime Minister’s daughter who tried to marry into the royal family was eventually abandoned by the Prince she had vowed to love forever. The Prince was surrounded by beautiful wives and concubines, while the Prime Minister’s daughter eventually hanged herself.” After that, Gao Chun huffed and turned to leave.

Gao Luoshen was left staring at her back, bewildered. She didn’t know what to say. She came all the way just to tell me that? What is wrong with Gao Chun?